Which term best describes a landlord's legal eviction of a tenant?

The term that best describes a landlord's legal eviction of a tenant is actual eviction. Actual eviction occurs when a landlord takes formal legal action to remove a tenant from a rental property. This process typically involves legal procedures that must be followed, including serving notices and obtaining a judgment from a court, and ultimately executing the eviction with the assistance of law enforcement if necessary.

In contrast, constructive eviction refers to a situation where a tenant is forced to leave the premises due to the landlord's actions or failures that significantly impair the tenant's ability to use and enjoy the property, such as failing to provide heat or maintain the property. Recorded eviction and prescriptive eviction are not commonly recognized legal terms in the context of landlord-tenant relationships, with recorded eviction lacking any established legal framework specific to evictions, and prescriptive eviction usually relating to claims for adverse possession rather than tenant evictions.